Coming into the 2025 WNBA season, Los Angeles Sparks rookie Sarah Ashlee Barker wasn’t expected to play a major role in the rotation. The No. 9 overall pick, Barker was joining a Sparks team that had a few veteran players ahead of her on the depth chart.

But during the early weeks of the season, the Sparks dealt with multiple injuries and absences that forced Barker into playing time and an immediate role. With Rae Burrell suffering a leg injury in the first game of the season, Barker was called into immediate duty as one of the Sparks’ main guards off the bench.

During the first month of the regular season, Sarah Ashlee Barker found herself moved into the Sparks’ starting lineup after only three games, and was averaging close to 22 minutes per game throughout the first month of her rookie year.

Barker was moved back to the bench after five consecutive starts to end the month of May, but still remained a key player in the team’s rotation. Although Barker’s minutes have fluctuated in recent weeks, including a few DNPs, she continues to stay ready for whenever her name might be called.

“I play the game of basketball not for how many minutes I’m gonna get or how many points I’m gonna score, I play because I love it. I’m grateful for the opportunity, grateful to be a part of this organization and just grateful that even when you’re not on the floor, you’re still able to learn from so many different people,” Barker told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview.

“Just having that mindset and being where my feet are and just understanding that one game you might play this amount of minutes, one game you might not play at all,” Barker continued. “It’s just one of those things where you just got to stay ready no matter what. When that opportunity presents itself, as long as you give 100 percent, that’s all that matters.”

Sarah Ashlee Barker’s role on the Sparks

When Lynne Roberts took over as head coach of the Sparks for the 2025 season, the expectation was that she was going to bring the uptempo, fast-paced system she ran in Utah, with a premium on outside shooting. While it’s taken the team a little while to get used to that style of play, Barker came in a natural fit for that system.

During her final two seasons in college at Alabama, Barker’s three-point shooting improved tremendously. She shot 36.4 percent across those two seasons compared to the 29.2 percent she shot her first three years.

With plenty of scoring threats on the Sparks and a lead guard like Kelsey Plum, Barker got her fair share of catch-and-shoot opportunities early on in the season. With a system that emphasizes three-point shooting, or being able to get to the basket, Barker hasn’t taken any shots this season from the 10-16 foot range, as per Basketball Reference.

She’s shooting close to 33 percent (32.7 to be exact) from the three-point line this season, and her career-high in made attempts came on June 17 against the Seattle Storm when she shot 4-of-6 from behind the arc.

But it’s not just her shooing that’s endeared her to the coaching staff. It’s her tough-nosed approach to the defensive end that’s earned Barker minutes in the rotation. She’s also been a positive presence on the glass. Barker knows that doing all the little things are key for her earning playing time.

“Just come in and try and defend the best you can, help the team in the little things like rebounding, owning your one-on-one matchup,” Barker said. “And then obviously when you have that open shot, you’ve got to be able to hit it. Knock it down and hit it.”

When Barker was a regular in the rotation, it was a common occurrence to see her diving on the floor and out of bounds, putting her body on the line to secure loose balls or trying to keep possessions alive. The WNBA has carved out a reputation for being a physical league, and it’s something that Barker relishes.

“I definitely love it. I think coming from the SEC, I feel like the SEC was definitely the most physical league in college basketball,” Barker said. “Obviously here it’s amped up a lot, but I think it’s just one of those things where it’s like the physicality is fun to me. And I grew up with three brothers so I was always getting dunked on, tackled, trucked, all that kind of stuff. So I kind of grew up with it.”

Sarah Ashlee Barker continues learning in Sparks rookie year

Since Rae Burrell has returned to the lineup and the Sparks signed Julie Vanloo, Sarah Ashlee Barker has been squeezed out of the rotation. It’s not really much of a surprise, considering the Sparks are trying to make a playoff push and Barker wasn’t going to get much playing time to begin with if not for the early roster absences.

But even as her role has decreased in recent weeks, Barker still remains on the sidelines soaking up everything she can about being successful in the WNBA from the team vets.

“Just how you take care of your body, how you approach every single day. You’re playing a lot of games in a short amount of time and so it’s the mental reps that you really have to focus on, and also being able to learn from the best,” Barker said. “With KP and Z [Azurá Stevens], Dearica [Hamby] even Rickea [Jackson], they’ve done a great job helping me and all that kind of stuff. . .Just being able to learn from them, watch them and just see how they attack every single day.”

The Sparks have 17 games remaining in the regular season and the team is hoping for more games after that by making the playoffs. As it stands, the team is a game and a half back of the Golden State Valkyries for the eighth and final playoff spot. Wherever the team ends up at the end of the year, Barker hopes to continue learning as much as she can.

“I think it’s just continuing to learn and continuing to understand. Every single day is a process. Every single day is a journey. It’s a not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Barker said. “Just being able to hone in on all the things that I’m learning this year, that’s been the biggest thing for me.”